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By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Legislature, that:

SECTION 1. Sections one and six of Act Numbered Twenty-one hundred and fifty-six, entitled "An Act authorizing the consolidation of municipalities into sanitary divisions and the reorganization of the municipal boards of health created by Act Numbered Three hundred and eight; defining their powers and duties, and providing for each province a special fund to be known as 'health fund,' for this and other purposes," are hereby amended, so that said sections shall read as follows:

"SECTION 1. Provincial boards are hereby authorized, for the purposes of health administration, to divide their provinces into sanitary divisions, which may comprise one or more municipalities, but not more than four, and these divisions shall become effective in a province whenever their organization has been agreed to by at least a majority of the municipal councils concerned: Provided, That to dissolve such sanitary division, the vote of a majority of the municipalities concerned shall be necessary. Any group of municipalities joined to constitute a sanitary division may have a divisional board of health organized in accordance with the provisions of Act Numbered Three hundred and eight, relative to the organization of municipal boards of health.

"There shall be for each division a president who shall be appointed by the Director of Health from among the persons proposed by the municipal councils concerned and recommended by the provincial board. The powers, duties, and remuneration of such president shall be fixed in the manner hereinafter provided. The president of a sanitary division shall be a duly qualified physician and shall fulfill his duties under the immediate supervision of the district health officer: Provided, That in emergency conditions, of the existence of which the Director of Health shall judge, persons with qualifications satisfying the Director of Health may be appointed to act temporarily as presidents of municipal sanitary divisions."

"SEC. 6. Each municipality shall set aside each year an amount not less than five per centum nor more than ten per centum from its general funds and each provincial' board shall set aside a like amount from its general funds, which amount, added to that appropriated by the municipalities under its jurisdiction, shall constitute a special fund to be known as 'Health fund': Provided, That municipalities whose general funds do not exceed three thousand pesos a year shall, upon application to the Director of Health, be exempted from the requirements of this section and shall in such case not be entitled to the benefits of this Act.

"The health fund thus created shall be deposited with the provincial treasurer and shall be used only for the purpose of paying the salaries and traveling expenses of presidents, subordinate officers and employees of the sanitary divisions of the province, and the traveling expenses necessarily incurred by the same, from their place of residence, upon proceeding to their station to assume the office, upon appointment, and for the purchase of medicines, medical supplies, and disinfectants to be distributed among the municipalities concerned for sanitary and other medical purposes, and other incidental expenses for carrying out the purposes of this Act: Provided, That, if at the close of the fiscal year there shall remain any balance in the health fund provincial boards are hereby authorized to accumulate such balances from year to year for the purpose of establishing hospitals, benevolent institutions in the province, or of carrying, out other permanent sanitary improvements: Provided, further, That whenever in the course of official service any president of a sanitary division travels to visit or attend any pay client or patient, he shall not be entitled to reimbursement for any traveling expenses incurred in this latter regard and shall state in a sworn voucher to accompany  his  claim for  reimbursement that the  claim does not include any such expense."

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, February 8, 1913.